How I Write 1,000 Words in 30 Minutes
A couple years ago, I had my first one-on-one business coaching call with PJ McClure. And it was a good one. He opened my eyes to the idea that the things I really want in life are actually possible. I had been holding myself back because of my self-limiting beliefs.
The key to getting what you want though is taking action to get there. If you don’t take action, and if you don’t make good use of your time, you’ll have a hard time getting where you want to go. That’s where I had been stuck.
Deep down, I still believed that creative writers will struggle with finances all their lives. That may be true, especially if that’s what they believe, and it would certainly be true if that’s what *I* believe.
By having those beliefs, we’re keeping the idea that writers are starving at the back of our minds. The belief is there. If we need to write and still make money to pay the bills, we’ll likely fall for something that’s easier. Money is a poor motivator for me. I have to focus on something more powerful. The thing we have to keep in mind is that it’s not about the money; it’s about what we want out of life.
With a limiting belief system, it’s no wonder a lot of writers are struggling. But we’re called creative writers, so we need to get creative about bringing the money in if that’s what we want. They say to do what you love and the money will follow, but I believe you need to be strategic about it in order for the money to come in.
So, after the coaching call, I realized that my dreams were possible, and since I didn’t want to screw around for another thirty years, I decided it was time to get my butt in gear. It was time to stop horsing around and get some serious work done.
The only trouble was, I had so much on my plate that it was hard for me to see past the overwhelm and all the tasks that I thought needed to be done.
So, I started following my coach’s advice on scheduling tasks, and that’s when things started to change.
The following Saturday, I set out to write down my schedule for the following week. The idea was that I would map out each day with specific instructions on what I would accomplish during each time frame.
For instance, my first task for that Sunday morning, between 5:30 and 7:00, was to write 1,500 words. When I sat down to write, I dabbled around for the first hour and wrote about 500 words. That left me with 30 minutes to write the remaining 1,000! And you know what? I did it! I wrote 1,513 words in 90 minutes.
In the past, I would set a basic time limit with a general idea of writing an article long enough for a blog post. When I actually set out to write for those 30 minutes, I would end up with a measly 300-500 words.
That wasn’t going to cut it.
I didn’t have that kind of time to spend several hours writing a single blog post. It was getting overwhelming, and it just wasn’t working out.
So, I needed to start taking advantage of the time I had available by setting specific goals and making myself meet my self-imposed deadlines.
It called for some tough love.
It was interesting because on that Sunday, I swear I got more done than I had all month. Why the sudden change?
I set out to achieve a specific goal. I also made myself stick to the task at hand, rather than let distractions tear me away. And I was determined to stick to my deadlines. I’ve had trouble with them in the past and I was finally fed up! I had goofed off enough. And it was time to get serious about taking advantage of the time I had available.
It’s easy to get sucked into the state of inactivity and overwhelm. I had been there before, but sitting there just thinking about all the things I had to do wouldn't help me get any closer to my goals.
I know it’s just easier to let distractions get in the way. To just sit on the couch and watch TV until we decide it’s time for bed. Life as an entrepreneur isn’t always easy. We have things we don’t want to do that still must be done. We have moments when we don’t feel like doing a particular task and think we can do it some other time. But you know what? That task won’t go away, not unless we’re able to outsource it.
Meeting our writing goals is about forcing ourselves to sit down and get the work done, no matter how we feel about it. If we set a goal and we have the task written down on our day planner, we must meet it. Treat it like a race. See how fast you can reach your goal. The answer might surprise you.
I had no idea I was capable of writing 1,000 words in 30 minutes, but that week I did it three times, and I am still able to do it now.
I discovered a few years ago that I needed a schedule to get things done and if I didn’t have a particular task on my schedule, it just wouldn’t get done. But the problem I had since then was that even when it was on my schedule, I still wouldn’t do it. I was either too tired or felt too lazy to take charge of my life to accomplish anything other than the day in and day out.
So, it takes determination, a plan, and action to achieve your underlying goals. Are you ready to write 1000 words?
Top Photo Credit: abcdz2000
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